Posted 8/26/o4

o00o – changing POVs

o00o - changing scenes/places/times

Chapter 6: Can't you feel the tension?

Blue eyes opened to the sound of loud boots treading heavily down the damp stone hallway. They watched with mild interest as hands reached out from shadows, voices called pleadingly, echoing eerily as they begged for release and mercy as the sound of jangling keys passed so close by them. A small smile appeared on the prisoner's lips as he stood up, robes swishing silently, as if expecting no…knowing that he was the one that was going to be taken out. Tanned face now slightly paler from the lack of sunlight and the lack of food, but it was still as placid as ever. Faramir once again found himself observing the accused spy as he unhooked the keys from the jailor's belt and unlocked the cell door. "Ther 'e is Captn'. Strange'un 'e is, all quiet n'such. Gives me th'willies. Unnatural I'll give yah. I 'ave 'opes a'getting ridda 'im soon." muttered the jailer.

Faramir stood back as the guards entered the cell and ushered the man out. "Now you shall see the justice in the courts of Minas Tirith. If you are innocent, then you shall be set free, with compensation. If you are guilty, punishment —most likely and certainly death shall await you." said Faramir, watching the prisoner's face intently, looking for a reaction.

But all that he saw was a slight look of amusement and the barest raising of an eyebrow. "As I have said to you before, Faramir, Captain of the Guard," came the serene reply, "we shall see how your country's judicial power is wielded."

o00o

Shadi glanced around calmly, letting his gaze slide around the people that were watching, but inside he could feel his heart begin to quicken. 'It seems that they have already decided my sentence.' He looked over in Faramir's direction, 'So much for a fair hearing. Believe me, I have learned enough about the workings of a judicial system to make my own opinions about human laws.' He shook his head mentally at the older man and settled into his place, feeling at last, a little bit of discomfort as he was in the center of all attention.

o00o

Denethor watched the entrance to the court fixedly as the double ebony doors swung open. The crier came first, "Shadi Lismuurru, suspected and is most likely to be of the Haradrim. Accused of attempted kidnapping, espionage, and sabotage." As soon as the crier moved out of the way, the prisoner was marched in, surrounded by guards, lest he try to struggle or escape. The room began buzzing with the sound of whispering and shuffling papers as the white robe figure made his way down the aisle. Whatever his plea of innocence would be, he would still be condemned . . . Denthor had made sure of that. Not again was he going to let opportunity to pass him by. This man was going to be the key to unlocking the Haradrim's secrets. No, instant death by a public execution would have to wait, possibly avoided if the man yielded to his instructions. Information would be needed, information that might turn the tide of the war against Mordor now instead.

This man was going to be hard to crack, no matter, they would have a long enough time. With a contented smile, Denethor sat back in his seat and watched as the trial began.

o00o

The questioners were soon firing questions, one after another, hoping to catch the man off balance and trip up his answers. But it was too much to hope for, for the man wasn't even answering back, just gazing back at them evenly, almost lazily, staying silent. Faramir wondered in his mind what this man was up to, what did he want to accomplish by staying silent? Nothing could be done like that. However, Faramir didn't see as his father watched the events knowingly, though he was able to discern the thoughts long before, but never had he dwelt on them. Thousands of questions entered his mind for the prisoner, but the questioners were beginning to become frustrated in their fruitless attempts at getting any response at all from the man, finally they asked, "Why do you not answer? Don't you want to be set free?"

There was a moment of silence as all waited doubtfully for an answer, then a small chuckle was heard, startling most of the crowd. The prisoner finally moved from his position, as he gestured towards all of the people that surrounded him, "What would I have to say? Would I tell the truth, but even then you will all say that I lie and try to convince me to say the opposite of the truth that I know of. It is already decided my fate, and I am ready to face it."

A murmur of outrage and disbelief swept through the room. "Take him back to the dungeons. If he wishes to stay, then so be it." spat the judge.

The prisoner was seized roughly and pulled out of the courtroom as Faramir watched in dismay.

As soon as the court was dismissed, Faramir found himself rushing back down to the dungeons. As he passed by the jailor, the man stopped him, "So Captn' Faramir. What they giv'im? Ther goin' t'be any public executions in th'near future for th'bloke?"

"As far as I can see . . . yes, there is." murmured Faramir half-heartedly as he pulled brusquely away from the jailor.

"Then I shall b'notifin' th'executioner then?" asked the jailor, ignoring the blatant avoidance.

"No, not yet as of the moment." called back Faramir as he disappeared around the dark corner of the hall.

He found Shadi sitting on the cell floor, idly polishing a golden object that hung from a long leather strap.

"I did not see any fault in you. Surely the judges would not have either if you had not acted so closed!" said Faramir pacing outside of the spy's…no…Shadi's cell. "Shadi…" Faramir started, letting the name fall out of his mouth as it rested strangely on his tongue, "I do not understand. You would have been given a fair chance. But you have given it all up. Now death will most likely await you. Why is it that you do so?"

o00o

"You still have much to learn about the ways of the law. Judges are human, just as prone to temptation, greed, and other weaknesses that we all are prone to. They have power . . . and power paired with such a mind can make even the most innocent man guilty of the most abhorrent charges. But this is just part of the tapestry that Fate weaves. Even just one mortal can make a difference in all of the world, time, and history. To think, if one man had the foresight to think over the decision of obliterating a small village . . . just one small village for his own good in advancing. He would have saved himself and his lineage from having to deal with the trouble and harm that would have come from it." Shadi looked up at him, as if knowing that Faramir was beginning to flounder a bit in his slightly sidetracked explanation.

Faramir shook his head in wonder at him, "I do not know of the events that you speak of, but I still do not understand why. Are you saying that even if you had answered truthfully that you were innocent . . . they still would have pronounced you guilty? You are saying it was as if they had already decided on a sentence against you."

Shadi looked up at the man who stood over him, as he sat on a small pile of straw on the floor. Faramir leant closer to him against the iron bars of the cell, a look of shock and distaste on Faramir's face as he absorbed this information. "It seems that whoever is the one that decided my sentence prematurely, is really intent on my staying. Perhaps for something more than just a satisfactory execution." said Shadi, slipping his Ankh back around his neck and tucking it underneath his robes.

"No . . . he wouldn't." came the hoarse whisper from Faramir. Shadi jerked up to look at the man in front of him. He seemed to have grown pale and rigid against the bars. Without another word, Faramir pushed himself away and rushed down the hall.

o00o

Rishid moved with lighting speed, pushing Malik and Yugi behind his large body, and hefting Ryou to the two of them. He spread out his arms and dropped the large spear he had held, in a sign of peace. Arrowheads that had been aimed at them lowered just slightly and the grip that the men had on their spears loosened just barely. With a calm, and commanding tone that Rishid had always been able to make, he said, "We come in peace and are in need of help. One of our party is suffering intensely from the heat and we wish to find refuge and rest here."

The small crowd parted to let through a large and tall man . . . Rishid's eyes widened momentarily in surprise. For the man's height was even greater than his own, Even though light sandy-colored robes swathed this man's body, he could see that great strength was hidden beneath and that this was a match, even for him if the events were to turn ugly. Clear, calculating eyes roamed over Rishid, and then his charges. Obviously, this was the leader of the tribe. Softly, the man padded nearer and circled them, Rishid held himself proudly and protectively as the man reappeared in front of him. For a while, the two gazed at each other until the other burst into a dazzling white smile that contrasted greatly with his dark skin. With halting and accented speech, the man broke the silence, "A strange group you have here, brother." A hand reached out in amity.

A sigh of relief was exhaled behind him and Rishid felt the strain in the area vanish. He took the proffered gesture and grasped the arm firmly. "I have been with more outlandish people before." replied Rishid with a returning smile, though underneath, he grimly remembered the days in Battle City.

"Take the sickened one into the healer's tent and give the others room in a spare tent." announced the man. Activity immediately began to start again. A few women came up to the group and carefully removed Ryou from Yugi and Malik's grasp, chiding the two gently to let go, in their own tongue. Carefully they bore Ryou away into a tent nearby and escorted Yugi and Malik with them, stopping only to tell Rishid to halt, glancing at their leader.

Rishid found himself alone with the man and two guards. Welcomingly, the man clasped Rishid's shoulder and led him into the largest of tents.

o00o

"I am Nam, the chief. Welcome to our tribe. It has been obvious you have been traveling in the harsh deserts for a while, sit. " said Nam, eyeing the stranger with unveiled curiosity as he poured out a cup-full of water for the both of them. He let his eyes travel once more over the strange glyphs that seemed to be tattooed into the left side of the man's face. Golden eyes gazed back at him courteously. "What possessed you to cross through these lands with what it seems, no items to aid you?"

The stranger drank a mouthful of the water and wiped his lips with the dark sleeve of his robes. After a moment of what seemed to be silent decision of whether or not to tell the truth, a reply came, calm and firmly, "I am Rishid, only a manservant of my Master Malik. My master and I do not know how we ended up in the deserts, but the two fair skinned boys joined us soon after, having…known the both of them, my master decided to have them travel with us. On our way here, the white-haired one seemed to suffer from a heat stroke and we were searching for some sort of civilization when we found your tribe."

At least he is truthful, for that I can trust him. Thought Nam as he nodded, "So you are not traveling North to the call of the Dark Lord?"

Rishid shook his head, "I have been asked the questions many times, I know not of any sort of Dark Lord or a calling. Though I do think we are heading in the direction."

Nam rose to his feet, "It is good then, for we have within our tribe a number of men that wish to answer that call and are traveling with them to see them to the borders or our lands. It would be a pleasure for you to accompany us, though, we will wait until your friend recovers enough strength to go on."

"Thank you."

"Now go, you are no doubt tired and ready for rest. You will find your friends in the healing tent still I think." said Nam, ushering Rishid out before sitting back down in his seat.

Not even a minute after Rishid had left, the flap to his tent was pushed open. Nam's eyebrow raised when he saw the irritated young man entered, his son. "Father! I do not believe what you wish to do!" spat out Tono in their native language, Nam remained silent, letting his son go on, "That man is no 'brother' of ours. You see that he has brought and is in company of Northerners! They are the enemy of the one that we are going to serve! You are getting old and foolish in your choices nowadays."

"Tono, it was my decision. Do you think that I could have left them in the wild to suffer?"

"It was your decision as well to halt all travels until that child recovers! We were to immediately leave tomorrow! We are traveling to Mordor, the Great Lord does not wait!" cried Tono.

Nam narrowed his eyes, "You forget, son, that not all of us are answering your Lord's calls. I chose to follow your group by my own will, I can just as well chose to separate our own ways."

"You chose your own son over these unknown travelers?! As much as that man looks like one of our own and also looks like your firstborn son, he isn't! He was slain by the hands of Northerners, dying in the aid of the Great Lord! My brother would never have sullied his hands with the caretaking of such weak beings." spat Tono.

"Your brother, would never had bothered with these prejudices, if your 'Great Lord' had not had called upon him and swayed him with his smooth but deceiving words. Nor shall I be blinded by these boundaries that separate us all these days. I do not choose these newcomers over you; rather I chose my own experienced thoughts and decisions over your young and brash ones." replied Nam gently, but a reprimanding edge could be heard.

Nam felt his heart fall as Tono winced in distaste and then shot a look of dissent towards him as his son strode defiantly out of the tent, his words echoing behind him, "This will only lead to your own downfall father." Heavily, Nam sat down upon his seat and put his face in his hands with a weary sigh. I can only hope that Tono will progress and learn better of his own views.

o00o

"I do not believe what a fool your father has proven to be."

Tono glanced up to see a dark figure rise up from the ground…Barrok, a lone stranger that was too heading towards Mordor, to the same goal and master that he was serving. As the man entered the fire-light, a large scar could be seen spanning across his face. Barrok's good left eye stared back at him, and in those depths, Tono could catch the glimpse of dark humor flickering in its green depths. "I had thought I could sway him from his judgment, but it seems that he his stubborn about the subject and will not let go."

Barrok waved his hand at the comment with a blasé air and chuckled, "No matter young man, on the other hand, I think we can benefit greatly from this."

"And why do you say that?"

"Why, the ones that are staying here now have something that…let's say that the Great Lord has interest in."

From some shadows of a tent nearby, a large figure quietly stole away.

o00o

"Where is the pharaoh's vessel?"

Malik looked up from beside Ryou's bedside and saw Rishid appear noiselessly from behind their tent-flap. The Egyptian boy shrugged and continued sponging carefully at Ryou's brow with a wet cloth, "He should still be at the healer's tent. Last I saw of him was while the healer was covering him with some balm for his sun-burns. Honestly, I think if we hadn't met them, they would be in the sun having become pieces of dry meat in the middle of the desert."

"It is not much of a laughing matter, Master Malik." said Rishid raising an eyebrow.

Malik just grinned back with a response, "You know I am just kidding. Besides, if you're looking for the Yugi you'd best look back in the healer's tent. They told me he would be sent back after he was finished for some well needed rest after treating him."

"How long ago was this?" asked Rishid, the tone in his servant had a small edge to it.

Malik eyed Rishid questioningly, he turned around and crossed his arms, "Since when were you so worried about Yugi Muto?"

With a violent swish of robes, Malik found himself being gripped tightly on the arms by Rishid. He could feel the tension that filled the man in front of him, Rishid's voice whispered softly but urgently into his ear, "Master Malik, under no circumstances tonight are you or the other boy to leave our tent tonight. Be ready to use the powers provided by your Millennium Rod." The large hands released their steely grip and Malik looked up at Rishid with large startled eyes as the man began to turn away.

"Wait! Rishid! What's going on? I demand to be enlightened with what is troubling you so much." hissed Malik.

Rishid looked back at him with emotionless eyes, "I fear that our night here will not be peaceful. I should have refrained from staying long here. But no matter…what has been done has been done. There is nothing I can do to change it. But the least I can do is to neutralize the danger that will be put against us all."

"What danger?! Rishid, tell me what is going on!" said Malik, his voice raising with slight annoyance.

"All that I know is that there are dangerous people here that are after something that one or all of us carry. But what that something is, I do not know. It could be anything from our souls and lives, to our possessions…like your Millennium Items. Just stay here and protect that boy." replied Rishid, he tilted his head at Ryou before making eye-contact with Malik. A few moments later, he disappeared into the desert night.

o00o

Yugi sat a few feet from the entrance of the healer's tent. They had told him to await someone to escort him back to where the others were staying. He closed his eyes and grinned cheerfully as a cool night breeze blew around him, ruffling his hair and bangs. Carefully he rubbed the strips of cloth that was bound around his arms, neck, and palms. At least the balm they put on him turned his hot and itchy skin cool and soothing. Curiously he looked around the area, 'Hmm…I wonder where my escort is? It is getting kinda late.'

His thoughts were interrupted as the sound of footsteps in the sands of the temporary little village came closer. A face that looked as if it were chiseled from stone gazed down at him, dark eyes seemed bore holes in his head as well as his heart, Yugi suppressed a shiver and managed a small smile at the man. No emotion was returned to the small teen, instead the man turned, "Come, I will be taking you back to where your friends are staying, be quiet in your steps, there will be no need for all that are trying to rest to hear your blundering Northern feet."

Violet eyes narrowed in dissent, but Yugi followed as quietly as he could behind, trying to keep up with the man. They traveled for a while in silence, all that could be heard was the soft babble of voices through the tent skins. As they began to approach the edge of the camp, Yugi looked around uncertainly, "Um, excuse me! But, isn't my tent that way?" the teen pointed in the direction that he hoped was the right way, when no answer was returned, a small feeling of something was not going right began growing in his mind, "Wait, sir?"

The man wheeled instantly on him, eyes blazing in impatience and annoyance. Yugi stumbled back a few steps as his once proclaimed escort began advancing on him rapidly.

To be Continued . . . .

Author's Notes:

::sniffles:: It seems that my asterisks aren't working on any more! So I kinda changed the 'changing POV' and 'changing scenes' thing.

I'm really sorry for not updating so regularly . . . and now that school is going to be starting up on Monday . . . heh. I'll try to get some more posts up. I really will! But being a freshman is going to be really tough. .

::shouts:: THIS IS NOT AN INTERACTIVE FANFICTION THING OR WHATEVER IS NOW BANNING!!!!!!! takes a breath hehe, just thought I needed to make that clear. I really don't believe that they're doing that. ::sniffles more:: They've taken away 'Casting Stones' by Roku Kyu?! I don't believe it! Next thing you know it they'll be banning crossovers or something . . . ::looks around nervously::

Oh and about Shadi. I got those interesting facts like his discomfort about being around a lot of people and his last name from Indigo Tantarian's SSSS (Slightly Sidetracked Shadi Shrine).

Replies to Reviews:

The Copper Araibian: ohh, there'll be Bakura in the next chappie. Lol can't give away what's happening to him though. Sorry!

Karasea Thank you! Hehe, I like the angst too. But it's kinda hard to write sometimes. Malik and co, those parts are always fun. But I do like the Senui and Ankhkare scenes just as well. There will be more of them next chappie too I suppose. And…::looks up:: I suppose you got your answer about Yugi in this chappie.

Sirithilielohhh, barrowdowns site is awesome. I really need to go there sometime…my elvish name is….Linda or Lindi it said either. 0.o that's very…creative, I suppose.

Koriaena Hehe, you have the right answer! Dingdingdingding! - lol. Oh about the millennium Items, here's who has them now. Bakura: Eye Saruman: Ring (but it's still Bakura's) Yugi: Puzzle/Tauk Shadi: Scales/Ankh Malik: Rod I guess get kinda confusing when it came to Yugi and Ryou's items. So here's the explanation. Yami threw Yugi the Puzzle during the fight on Amon Hen so he could protect it. Yugi already had the Tauk. Bakura took the Ring back from Ryou so he could use its powers better. And he already had the eye when Ryou gave it to him when Yugi and Ryou were assimilated into the fellowship. Kinda confusing . . . .

JK Fie'r: ::is glomped:: I'm glad that I'm part of your normal life. And ::drools:: you have a green lightsaber?! Me wants itttttt. ::controls self:: hehe sorry.

Chelley Angel: Sorry! I get a little messed up sometimes with tenses and stuff. I don't have a beta for this REMEMBER?! - ::Hugs Chelley:: I'm sorry about Bakura, and about the chicken but it was just so funny…not about Bakura but the chicken. Okay? I'll see you at school.

IMPROVED Uber Rei Model 06: Florida is always fun. I used to live there - Disney World! Harry Potter, I stayed up all night so I could finish it. Less than six hours. kinda sleep deprived but triumphant. Lol.

Well that's about it. Cya all and I love your reviews! All of them. -Fire Pendant